Painful decision was no walk in the park

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Prickly bindiis don't bother spreading in Hallinan Park. No part
of it is prettier than any other. Television cameramen found a spot
they could tolerate yesterday, Mark Latham walked over and
resigned.

The Leader of the Opposition had driven himself to Ingleburn and
entered the park alone. He strode across the patchy grass and
pavers and began talking about people who were not there.

"A number of colleagues have asked me to address the uncertainly
concerning the Labor leadership," Mr Latham said. "While I had
planned to reassess things at the end of my leave period on 26
January, the ongoing speculation is damaging the party and needs to
be dealt with now."

Reporters were still arriving in taxis as Mr Latham, with the
expression of a high school maths teacher stuck on someone else's
playground duty shift, outlined how the press and pancreatitis had
brought down his parliamentary career.

"When I was hospitalised in August, for instance, the media
frenzy was over the top, with photographers shooting through my
hospital window," he said.

"Unfortunately, ever since the recent bout became known, and
even though I was on annual leave, the media has been harassing
people in our street, forcing our neighbours to call the police on
several occasions.

"Obviously, this situation cannot continue."

But he was exceptionally fortunate to have a fantastic family,
especially his beautiful wife and two little boys. He would be
crazy to put them at risk. In politics everyone talks about family
values; he wants to practise them now.

"I want to thank the Labor Party for the opportunity for leading
it to the last election and trying to form a Labor government. I
hope that my colleagues can achieve this vital goal in the future
and I wish them well."

Mr Latham thanked the voters of Werriwa for allowing him to
represent them for the past decade and drove home alone to Glen
Alpine, in the neighbouring federal seat of Macarthur.

He had been mayor of Liverpool before entering Parliament, but
Ingleburn is within Campbelltown City Council and Hallinan Park
remembers only its own mayors.

One plaque commemorates Clive Tregear, a Campbelltown alderman
from 1956 to 1980, and mayor from 1964 to 1972.

"He devoted his life to the betterment of Campbelltown and
Ingleburn," the plaque reads. "He said: 'It may not mean a great
deal to others but it means a hell of a lot to me."'